»One ought to learn more about Greenland in Denmark. Greenland and the Realm are not even a part of the compulsory curriculum for social science studies«.

Text & Photo: Thea Sandeman Jensen, greenland today March 2016

Probably not many people know that it is possible to be an exchange student in Greenland. If people knew about the opportunity, more would probably come to Nuuk to study, believes Edith Lauglo Endsjø, who was in Nuuk for a month in 2015 to study.

– I did not know much about modern Greenland until I came up here, says Edith Lauglo Endsjø.

Edith is 32 years old and studies political science at Copenhagen University. She was in Nuuk to take the course »Greenland at the Crossroads: Climate change, Asian Interest in the Arctic and Developments in Greenland« at Ilisimatusarfik – Greenland’s University.

– My interest in the Arctic and in Greenland in particular was awoken when I worked on a journalistic scene show for DR2 Deadline called »The Arctic Dream«, says Edith.

Many of her fellow students in Copenhagen wondered why Edith wanted to go to Greenland.

– We do not know very much about Greenland in Denmark, says Edith.

– And no-one knew that it was actually possible to study in Greenland.

Edith says that although she is studying social science, Greenland and the Realm are not part of the compulsory curriculum. And in her opinion, that is not good enough.

– We should learn about Greenland in Denmark; for example about the self-governance law and society in Greenland in general.

May return
Edith would have liked to spend a little more time in Nuuk.

– I really liked being there. Nature, the water and the fells provide a serenity you do not find elsewhere. It reminded me a lot of my childhood home in Trondheim in Norway. The nature is very similar. I did a lot of walking and it was incredibly beautiful.

– I could easily imagine living and working in Nuuk. I have thought a lot about going back there to write my PhD.

There was also time for more than nature and reading.

– Of course, I went out in Nuuk and it reminded me a lot about the way things are done in Trondheim. The party starts, after everything closes.

– All in all, I met a lot of people who were really nice to me and who showed me round and so on, concludes Edith Lauglo Endsjø.